The Dark Author
by SallyStringBass
Summary: Formerly titled "The Purity Of Chaos." Five years later, something stirs from the depths. Luigi isn't sure if he's ready for what's coming.
1. Destiny

It's been five years, seven months, three weeks, and 16 days since the Chaos Heart incident. Luigi truly believed that everything was resolved. But when was _anything_ that simple for him?

* * *

 _ **Luigi...**_

 _ **Wake up...**_

"Nnngh..."

Luigi groaned quietly into the darkness, squirming beneath his duvet until his eyes opened. Squinting, he noted that he couldn't see much of his room, besides what was illuminated by the faint glow of the waning moon. Seems like it was at least 3 in the morning. This was decidedly odd, since Luigi was a heavy sleeper, and always refused to stay awake past midnight. He never woke up this late; his sleeping schedule was as tight as a bowstring.

So... Why was he awake again? Didn't he hear someone?

Was it Mario?

 _ **Luigi...**_

He flinched. "Wh—who's there?" Luigi called, his voice wavering. He instinctively reached beside his bed for his Poltergust and grasped the nozzle tightly. Pulling on the lamp string to light the room, the man rose to stand, dragging the vacuum by the hose along the carpet. "I'm warning you! Come out! O—or... Or I'll..."

His speech trailed off, falling silent as he peered down the stairs. The Poltergust nozzle slipped from his hand, clattering onto the ground.

Lying on the floor at the bottom of the staircase was a large book. It bore a pitch black binding with velvet border lines. Along the four corners were white beads, and a large blue gem was emblazoned into the centre of the front cover. An eerie glow ruminated from the central gemstone, holding Luigi's gaze captive. Blinking rapidly, the young man peered over the bedroom railing and scanned the kitchen below, hoping to spot whoever left the book there. Or perhaps he'd find the person who was whispering to him. But the hallway's silenced echoed through the house, deafening him. Looks like whoever put the book there was already gone.

Luigi shook his head in disbelief as he carefully lumbered down the stairs in the direction of the tome. "I... think I should..."

He should... _what?_ Call Mario, and ask him to come back? The elder brother wasn't home that night, due to a plumbing call from the castle they received earlier that evening. Mario simply decided to stay over in the guest room, so he wouldn't have to make the trip home in the middle of the night. Peach was off the list too, being at the castle with Mario. As urgent as this predicament was, he didn't have the stomach to intrude on royalty at 3 in the morning.

Perhaps he should call Nastasia. She knew more about this book than most other people (despite never having read it herself). But then Luigi remembered something crucial: she lived in another dimension. There was no feasible way to contact her, since Luigi himself wasn't able to manipulate dimensional space like his brother could. He had no way to get to her.

Luigi sighed, still unsure of what to do. He knelt down, tentatively slipping his fingers beneath the leather binding. A shiver ran down his spine; the navy gem flashed lowly in reply. Frowning, Luigi decided upon a course of action—or rather, a course of inaction. In a bout of desperation, Luigi hustled upstairs, hoisted the mattress off his bed, and slipped the book beneath it. The mattress fell onto the book with a thump, concealing it effectively.

"There," he breathed, wiping his brow. He only just noticed that he was sweating profusely. "This should do for now. Mario will know what to do." With a yawn and a stretch, he rolled onto his bed again, only to jump back off with a grunt of pain. The lump that the book formed under the mattress poked angrily at his backside, preventing him from laying on it. Luigi, getting frustrated, tiredly stumbled to the other end of the room and collapsed onto his brother's bed. He didn't even have time to pull up the blankets before he dozed off into a troublesome sleep.

* * *

 _"_ _Luigi, wake up..."_

Oh great. Not again...

Luigi rubbed tiredly at his eyes, carefully propping himself up on his elbows. The house was now thoroughly lit by the sunlight leaking from his window. Birds could be heard chirping from the tree by the northern wall; they usually start singing in the afternoon. Man, he REALLY slept in today. He squinted a bit, peering at a crimson figure standing above him.

"Luigi, why are you in my bed?" Mario asked, a single eyebrow propped up in suspicion. Luigi noted that his brother was donning his work clothes, which were decidedly filthy with oil, dirt and grease. Looks like he finished up his work a bit late.

Luigi shuffled awkwardly, slipping off the bed. "Sorry, bro," he chuckled, rubbing his neck. "Guess I was a bit tired last night."

"Hmm." Mario hummed, then promptly crossed his arms. "We both know you're not a very good liar."

Dang it. Luigi cursed himself inwardly, and tried to compose himself. "W—well, I..." Pausing, he took a deep breath, looking down tentatively. "Bro, I... I've gotta show you something important."

Mario blinked, taken aback, and stared intently as Luigi made his way over to his bed and lifted the mattress. As Luigi pulled the book out and placed it on the floor, Mario's hand crept up to his face, preventing himself from spewing an obscenity. "That's...!"

"The Dark Prognosticus," Luigi finished darkly. "Yeah."

"But I thought it was gone! No one's seen it for two years now! And... why is it here?"

Luigi looked up at Mario, who was staring down at him with a mixture of dread and shock. Realizing what his brother was thinking, Luigi quickly shot his hands in front of him. "What?! No!" he cried defensively, shaking his head. "I didn't take it! It just... showed up here last night. It was just lying at the bottom of the stairs. I'm not sure who left it there."

The elder brother frowned, clearly unconvinced, but didn't pursue any further. "We need to get rid of it," he announced, reaching for the book. "Let's get a fire set up and get this over with."

Luigi smiled faintly in relief, standing up. "I'll go get some firewood." Leaving Mario to handle the book, the younger brother briskly exited the room, heading down the stairs and out the front door. A pile of firewood was stacked against the side of the house, ready for the cold season. Luigi plucked two off the top, grunting at their weight. Looks like they weren't quite dry yet. Hopefully they would still burn alright...

"Mario!" Luigi called, going towards the fire pit at the front of the building. "Do we have any tinder? This wood is pretty wet!" He plopped the wood in the circle of bricks, jumping away as one almost landed on his foot.

Mario's voice came from inside. "Yeah. I'll, uh... I'll be right there."

Luigi cocked his head for a moment, then shrugged dismissively. He began adjusting the logs parallel to each other, leaving room between them to place the book in. Nodding at his handiwork, Luigi hurried back up the porch and flung the door open. "Okay, Mario," he began, scurrying up the stairs. "We're good to put the book in. Are you ready to... uh..."

Luigi blinked. Mario was crouching close to the ground, trembling. Incoherent whispers and groans came from his direction. The green plumber went silent, and began to inch forward, his hand outstretched. "Um... Bro? Mario?"

At that moment, Mario's head snapped back with a sickening crackle. His eyes were wide with fury, glowing violet for a split second. Luigi flinched, backing away and grasping the railing behind him. _"M—Mario!"_ he sputtered, quivering. "I... What are you...?!"

The elder brother quickly stood, his violent lavender gaze still affixed to Luigi. He began stumbling toward his sibling, but froze mid-stride. The glow in his eyes faded, allowing them to regain their natural blue colour. Mario gasped, staring at a stunned Luigi.

It was then that the younger brother noticed that the book was lying right behind Mario, where he was crouching. It had been opened to the title page, and threatened to spill its contents to anyone who took a glance.

 _"_ _Mario!"_ Luigi shrieked, grasping his brother by the shoulders and shaking him roughly. "You... You can't read that! You _know_ how dangerous that is! My stars, what in Jaydes name is _wrong_ with you?!"

"I..." Mario breathed heavily and hesitated. "I'm so sorry... I don't know what came over me." He rubbed his arm, hunching his shoulders and peering warily at the book behind him. "Luigi... I think... I think that book can talk. It was _talking_ to me."

Luigi frowned, reaching for Mario's hands and holding them tightly. "What did it say?"

The two endured a grueling minute of silence before Mario replied. "...It said that I could have whatever I wanted," he began slowly. "It promised me money, and happiness." He paused, glancing at the ground guiltily. "It promised me true love. I... I couldn't resist it. I _had_ to open it."

The younger brother bore his intense stare into the other's eyes, but remained where he was, still holding both of Mario's hands. "That's why we have to get rid of it. _Right now."_

Mario nodded solemnly. He tentatively plucked the book off the floor and made his way outside. Luigi followed closely, ensuring that he wouldn't try to read the book again. When they arrived at the fire pit, Mario entry placed the book between the two logs. Focusing his energy, Mario summoned a swirling orb of fire from his hand, and tossed it right onto the binding of the book. The tome, as well as the two logs, were completely engulfed in flames. A piercing screech suddenly echoed from within the pages, causing the brothers to flinch and stumble backwards.

 _ **YOUR DESTINY!**_

 _ **DO NOT FORSAKE YOUR DESTINY!**_

The two brothers stood by silently for a few minutes, holding each other closely as the unholy screams died away. The only sounds left were the heaving breaths of the twins, and the soothing crackle of burning wood.

"...Peach asked us to come over for cake," Mario said slowly after a long while. "Would you like to come with me?" Luigi averted his eyes, nodded absently, and tightened his grip on Mario's hand. They made their way back inside together, leaving the fire to eventually burn itself out.

 _ **Luigi...**_

 _ **Your fate awaits you...**_

* * *

"Master... You were right all along. It's still alive."

 _"_ _...Of course I was right. I can smell it from here. The darkness... it's dormant, yes. But it's still pulsing."_

"What's the plan, then?"

 _"_ _We have to take it. Kill whomever is necessary. But I must have it for myself. It's the only way I can be freed."_

"I'll gather my forces. We'll take the surface dwellers by storm!"

 _"_ _No."_

"...No? But ya just said—"

 _"_ _I_ know _what I said. But our kind being on the surface would draw too much attention."_

"Sooooo... what should we do, then?"

 _"_ _Be on the ready. Rest assured, you'll have many throats to slit once I'm free. But for now, you must wait, and prepare."_

"Gotcha. But who in hell are ya gonna send to the surface?"

 _"_ _Hmm... I have an idea. I'll reach out to an old friend of mine. I'm sure he would be more than willing to oblige our cause."_

* * *

 _A/N:_ _Hate to say that this won't make much sense if you haven't played Super Paper Mario. Sorry about that._

 _I hope this fanfic isn't TOO confusing right off the bat... I want to upkeep a certain level of intrigue, but not so much that the story doesn't make sense. It might be hard to find that balance... Welp, I'll see what I can do._


	2. Negotiations

As a monarch, Peach had a lot on her plate. But that didn't stop her from noticing something was off, and that her two plumber friends were acting rather strangely...

* * *

"Did Mario _have_ to come?" a gruff voice groaned. "Why couldn't we just do this thing on our own?"

A second voice snappily cut him off. "Mind your manners, Your Rudeness. You know as well as I do that Mario is an integral part of these discussions."

"I don't see why he has to be. What does he do to run this kingdom anyway? Why should he be part of this?"

As the two voices carried on arguing, Peach sighed deeply, swishing her tea around in her cup. Her pinky finger had long since fallen limp, betraying her exhaustion. She struggled to stop herself from eavesdropping on her guests just outside her room, but found it rather difficult, since their voices had the unique ability to be heard from any hallway or corridor in the castle. (The stars forbid they have any volume control.) But she couldn't simply order the two away, because they had important business to attend to with her. So, for the sake of peace, they would have to learn to get along. For the time being, at least.

Sighing a second time, Peach wandered over to the balcony, staring down at the courtyard. The sun was shining brightly this afternoon, and even though the doors were closed, she could hear birds chirping from the trees. A few Toads were wandering the grounds with watering cans and bags of fertilizer, tending to the variety of roses. Too bad Peach had to spend such a wonderful day cooped up indoors. Right then, the princess promised herself that as soon as negotiations were finished, she would go for a stroll and keep walking until her legs broke.

If only Mario could arrive sooner, so she could get started.

 _"Grambi, it's about time you showed up, plumber! I was getting impatient!"_

 _"Oh, go shove your head in a pipe, Koopa. We got here as fast as we could."_

The princess took a final calming breath before turning around. Brushing out the wrinkles in her dress, the determined lady decisively marched towards the exit, abandoning her tea on the balcony railing. Time to put those diplomacy lessons to good use.

The door was shoved open, and any arguing that had been transpiring halted in a moment. Sitting at a large round table were her guests, who were all (to varying degrees) happy about her arrival. From the far side of the table, seated on the largest chair in the castle (which was still not large enough, mind you), a lumbering figure grinned. "Glad you could join us, Princess," Bowser boomed, straightening his back and interlacing his fingers. Beside the king stood his second-in-command, Kammy, as well as two Koopa guards, donning their usual iron armour and spears. The two soldiers saluted Peach as she approached, and even Kammy graced her with a quick nod.

Near the opposite side of the table, two Toads guards were pulling out more chairs for Mario and Luigi, Peach's other guests. Bowser murmured something to Kammy whilst staring at Luigi, and the Magikoopa only shrugged in reply. Luigi eyed the two warily, but sat down obediently.

Mario, on the other hand, remained standing erect. "I don't need a chair," he muttered quietly to the Toads. "I'll stand."

The guards stared at Peach helplessly, unsure of what to do.

"...That will be all," Peach finally said, relenting. She knew Mario would want to be on guard in case Bowser tried anything underhanded. Although she was confident that the Koopa clan would be tactful this time around, it wouldn't hurt to let Mario be on the ready, if it made him feel more secure. The Toads let out a relieved breath at their dismissal, whispering their thanks as they made their escape. The princess couldn't blame them for wanting to leave, so she decided not to fault them.

As the guards made their exit, two more Toads entered the room: the first was Toadsworth, Peach's advisor and legal guardian. It was expected that he would want to monitor this negotiation, and considering his exceptional ability to keep Peach at ease, she was very glad to have him here today. The second Toad, elderly and green-spotted, accompanied Toadsworth, scanning the room with a studious eye. He was Minister Muss T., the royal chancellor, as well as the minister of economics and foreign affairs. Besides being a long-time official of the Mushroom Kingdom, he also had an uncanny ability to quell an argument. His expertise was desperately needed at this table.

Toadsworth and Muss took seats on either side of the princess, and began to pile a variety of papers on the tabletop. Bowser cocked an eyebrow, clearly becoming impatient, but kept his mouth shut. When the Toads finished, Muss spoke up. "My apologies for the delay," he began, clearing his throat. "I believe we're ready to begin. Princess?"

Peach nodded. "Yes, we're ready. Bowser… your proposition?"

Bowser nudged Kammy with his elbow, gesturing to Peach. Kammy rolled her eyes. "Yes, our proposition." A cough. "Now, I know that we all want this war to end. There've been too many casualties at this point to justify fighting any longer. So, we propose a treaty that would have us withdraw our troops from your territory, and cease all attacks on the Mushroom Kingdom. In exchange, the Darklands would receive full sovereignty. The people of our nation want to live without oppression from the Mushroom regime, and this would be the ideal way to get what we both want."

Peach glanced around, carefully examining the faces of everyone in the room. Bowser was nodding slowly, smirking proudly. Toadsworth rubbed his chin, and Minister Muss hummed in thought. Meanwhile, Mario furrowed his eyebrows, his arms crossed. He leaned over and whispered something to Luigi, who looked utterly confused by the whole ordeal. Kammy, seeing as she was on a roll, decide to push her luck a little further. "Of course, I also firmly believe that an apology is in place," she continued. "Given how your people have treated us in the past, it's only fair that we receive some compensation by way of coin."

"No," Mario growled suddenly, huffing. Toadsworth cursed under his breath, shushing him urgently. Of course, Mario ignored him. "Why should we apologize? You were the ones attacking _us_. If anything, _we_ deserve compensation instead."

Bowser frowned, smoke already billowing from his nostrils. Well, so much for a peaceful end to this.

" _Ahem!_ "

All heads turned to Minister Muss, who was twiddling his moustache expertly. "Now, now, Mario, that's enough," Muss interjected calmly. "There's no need to get riled up. We can settle this peacefully. That's why we're here, after all." Mario shot him an annoyed glare, but Muss simply continued speaking as if he didn't notice. "King Bowser, I don't think financial compensation is possible at this point. We've suffered a large extent of damage to civil properties because of this war. We'll need to focus our funds on rebuilding the homes of our citizens. I hope you understand."

Kammy sighed, relenting. "Very well, I'll allow leniency on that front... But we still want independence for our country. That can't be negotiated."

"I think that can be arranged," Peach agreed. "We'll need time to work out the details, but if you're willing to remove your forces and help us put an end to this bloodshed, we can work towards Darkland independence together."

"Sounds good to me," Bowser piped, narrowing his eyes at Mario. "That's it, then? Independence in exchange for a ceasefire?"

Toadsworth and Muss exchanged a glance, then simultaneously nodded. "Yes, that should do just fine," Muss confirmed. "We'll just need to discuss the specifics of a long-term peace treaty, as well as Darkland sovereignty." The elder Toad yawned, stretching his arms and leaning back in his chair. "What do you all say to a break before we begin? Have some food and drink?"

Bowser laughed jollily, kicking his feet onto the table and knocking a few papers aside. "Hell yeah!" he chuckled. "I'd kill for something to eat! Peach, how about some cake?"

Kammy was preparing to kick Bowser in the shin for the lattermost comment before Peach interrupted. "I'll send someone for it right now. Please excuse me for a moment." Standing up, and giving everyone a quick curtsy, she hastily entered the kitchen nearby. She could hear the others arguing through the doorway behind her—something about having tea or coffee to drink. Peach decided to hurry as much as possible before a fight could break out. But before she could start her search to find a servant to fetch the food and beverages, someone piped up from beside her.

"Um… Princess?"

Peach jumped a bit and whirled around to face a rather distressed Luigi. He was fiddling with his sleeve, a telltale sign that he was worried. Furthermore, his eyes were darkened by violet bags, and a thin layer of sweat had accumulated on his forehead. Something was very clearly bothering him. Peach opened her mouth to inquire about it, but Luigi cut her off. "I need to talk to you," he whispered carefully, "after Bowser is gone. I can't talk about it now, but..."

She blinked, taken aback. "O—of course, Luigi," she replied, plastering on a lopsided smile of reassurance. "But are you sure you're alright? Do you need to see a doctor?"

Luigi shook his head, closing his eyes tightly. "No, no, I'm okay, I'm okay. Just… Please, when Bowser leaves. Please." He paused, trembling for a moment. "Please."

The princess looked around quickly. A few dishwashers were busy at the sink, and didn't seem to overhear anything thus far. And the door behind them was still closed. Okay, the coast is clear. "Meet me at the courtyard," Peach murmured, "at sundown. I'll be waiting there."

"Th—thank you, Princess," Luigi breathed, visibly relieved. "I'll be there. Thank you…"

Peach nodded silently as he left the room and returned to the rioting table of hungry guests. When the door closed, the princess took a moment to try and figure out what exactly just happened.

It was obvious enough that Luigi seemed worried about something. And he was rather adamant about Bowser not being present to discuss it. And, thinking a bit more carefully about it, Peach suddenly realized that Mario was rather snappy today, much unlike his usual self. Sure he could've been on edge about having Bowser in the castle, but… still. Something was off with the two, and she was determined to find out what.

She would have to remember to meet Luigi as soon as she could. But until then, she had refreshments to take care of.

* * *

 _"Glad to see you've arrived, old friend."_

"Yes, well, I didn't have much of a choice. Your underlings are very... persuasive. What's so urgent that you had me come under threat of torture?"

 _"I'd like to make you an offer. I seek something on the surface, and your skill set would lend itself greatly to the task."_

"...On the surface? What could you possibly... Ah... Ah ha ha. I understand. You want the Heart, don't you?"

 _"That's right. I'd like you to bring it to me."_

"Ah ha ha... In case you haven't noticed, I can't leave this place. I'm trapped here, like a wild animal behind bars. I am incapable of leaving without Jaydes' permission."

 _"You forget who you're talking to. I may be imprisoned here, but my powers are not fully suppressed."_

"...So, you want me to retrieve the Heart for you, yes? Fine, fine. But what's in it for me?"

 _"You, my friend, will be free to roam the land of the living once more. ...I understand that you have a bit of revenge to carry out there, hmm?"_

* * *

 _A/N: Yay, politics. So exciting._

 _I thought I'd take this chapter to flesh out my version of the Mario universe. In my head, the reason Bowser keeps terrorizing the Mushroom Kingdom is because of ages of species-based oppression, which was perpetuated by Peach's ancestors. Peach herself is the first person in a long line of royals to try and make peace with the Darklanders and not, say, enslave them. Or murder them. So that's nice, I suppose._

 _As for Bowser, he's not really a royal in the traditional sense. But he did start the revolution to liberate the Darklanders, so everyone just decided to make him their king. He's more of an unofficial elected official than a monarch. Oh, and I'm also styling the Darkland revolution after the early rise of the USSR. Hopefully my high school history class can find some use here._


	3. Solutions

The Chaos Heart incident was far from over, Mario discovered. If only the death of Dimentio had been the end of things...

* * *

"I can't believe this."

"Mario, stop pacing. It won't help."

"The book should be gone. We burned it."

"You're going to ruin the grass. Please sit."

"We won, Peach. We beat Dimentio, and we _won_. Why is this thing still around?"

"I'm speaking to you, Mario. Listen to me, for Grambi's sake."

" _Bene, bene,_ fine!" Mario snapped loudly, plopping onto the ground near a rosebush huffily. "There. I'm sitting. Now what?"

Peach, unfazed by Mario's attitude, moved from her seat on the wooden bench to kneel next to the plumber. "Now we wait," she said softly. "Merlon and Nastasia are on their way right now. Just be patient." Pausing, she gestured to her left; Luigi was on another bench nearby, stroking a rose absently. He didn't seem to be listening to them. "Go be with him," she urged, giving Mario a small shove. "He needs you right now."

Mario's expression softened a bit, his anger giving way to a concerned frown. Relenting, he stood up and approached Luigi, putting a hand on his shoulder. Luigi didn't react, but stopped stroking the flower in his hand. They began to whisper to each other quietly, and Peach took this as her cue to leave them alone for now. The princess beckoned a Toad guard who was accompanying her. "Anything to report?"

"Bowser and Kammy left the borders a while ago," the Toad grunted. "Looks like they don't want to cause trouble tonight. And it didn't look like any of the citizens noticed them come or go."

"What about Merlon and Nastasia?"

The Toad frowned. "Merlon's on his way—he should be here within a few minutes. But I haven't heard anything from Nastasia."

Peach gripped the bridge of her nose, breathing deeply. "Thank you," she sighed, turning her attention to the evening sky. "That'll be all."

With a brisk bow, the guard left to continue monitoring the courtyard, leaving the princess to appreciate what was left of the day. The sun was almost completely down now, and streaks of light were pelting down near the distant Shooting Star Summit. On the other bench, Mario and Luigi were watching the falling stars too, murmuring quietly to each other in their mother tongue. " _Desidero sapere cosa fare_ " and " _desidero che questo finisse_ " were what she managed to hear. Peach didn't know much Italian aside from what Mario taught her, but she did recognize one word: _desidero_. Mario always said that word before making a wish.

She wondered what they could be asking the stars for. Of course, it was impolite to ask about wishes, so instead of prying, Peach decided to let them pray in peace. She folded her hands and gazed up towards the faraway Summit, making a silent wish of her own.

 _I wish there could be a happy ending to all this._

"Excuse me!" a voice piped up. Peach whirled her head around to see a hooded figure, clad in blue, strolling towards her. Their face was shrouded by the hood they wore, with only their glowing eyes and overflowing facial hair being visible. They were a Shaman, no doubt, and Peach knew _this_ particular one rather well.

"I came as soon as I could," Merlon heaved, visibly out of breath. Peach hurried over to him, grabbing his hand and leading him to the bench. The Shaman sat down, gathering himself. "I'm sorry for making you all wait. What seems to be the problem?"

"The Dark Prognosticus," Mario stated flatly, not noticing the sudden onset of horror on Merlon's face. "It's back. Luigi found it the other day. We tried burning it—nothing happened."

"That's why we called you," Peach interjected. "We thought you would know what we should do about this."

Merlon shut his gaping mouth, and closed his eyes in thought. After a moment, he hummed, opening his eyes again. "The Dark Prognosticus is extremely powerful," he began. "It doesn't surprise me that you couldn't destroy it. There's no way it would be that easy to rid of it."

Peach frowned, not really sure if she was expecting anything different. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

A strange twinkle shone from the Shaman's eyes. "Well, I think you should talk to the person who wrote the thing, hmm?"

At this, everyone shot their heads up. Mario blinked blankly. "You mean… the author? They're still alive?"

Merlon chuckled. "No, they're long gone. But perhaps you can work around that."

After a moment of silence, Mario spoke. "You… want us to go to the Underwhere."

"That's correct. Only the author of the book would know how to destroy it, after all." Merlon glanced at Luigi, who hadn't said anything up to this point. "Besides, Queen Jaydes owes you all a favour, doesn't she? I'm sure she wouldn't mind you visiting for a while."

Before anyone could say anything else, Luigi cut in, his voice monotone and full of dread. "I don't wanna go back," he murmured, closing his eyes tightly. He seemed to be tearing up. "I don't wanna go back."

"You don't have to," Mario reassured him. "I'll go."

Peach shook her head at Mario. "No, the book will just tempt you again. You can't go, and certainly not alone. Luigi seems to be the only one who can hold it without wanting to open it."

Merlon froze, staring at Luigi in awe. "You… can hold the book? Without being tempted?"

"I don't get it either," Mario sighed. "Maybe it's got something to do with… uh…" He trailed off, looking rather sheepish.

Luigi rolled his eyes, resting his chin on his hand sadly. "It's got to do with the Chaos Heart," he finished. "I know, I get it."

Merlon coughed, trying to change the subject. "Er, where is the book, anyways?"

Mario looked to Luigi. The younger brother reached for a brown knapsack hanging from his shoulder and peeled the flap away, revealing the black binding of a book within. Merlon approached him and peered at it, clearly taken aback. "Why, I've never seen it up close before," he commented, leaning closer to get a better look. Peach and Mario exchanged a glance as Luigi removed the Prognosticus from the bag and showed it to Merlon. The Shaman continued to stare at the book, being particularly enamoured by the gem in the center. Slowly, his eyes began to emit a violet hue, glimmering beneath his hood. "It's… rather beautiful, actually…"

Luigi, recognizing the warning signs, took a quick step back to seperate themselves. But Merlon lunged forward, tackling the plumber to the ground. As Mario and Peach cried out in shock, Luigi kept a death grip on the book as the Shaman clawed at it. "It's mine!" Merlon hissed.

Before he could snatch the Prognosticus away, however, Mario and Peach came to their senses; they each grabbed one of Merlon's arms, dragging him away from Luigi, who was huddled on the grass with the Prognosticus. Peach glared at Merlon, who was beginning to die down as the purple glow left his irises. "Merlon, what in Jaydes' name has gotten into you?!"

"It's not his fault," Luigi breathed, shakily standing up. "It happened to Mario too."

"I…" Merlon, realizing what he had done, hung his head in shame. A quiet sob escaped him. "I'm so sorry, my friends… I couldn't help myself…"

"We know," Mario said lowly. "It's alright. Just stay away from it. We can't risk it happening again."

Peach let go of Merlon and dusted off the skirt of her gown. "Well, that settles it then, doesn't it?" she stated. "Luigi has to go find the author. We can't stay around that book without falling under its influence."

"Me?" Luigi's hand made his way to his neck, and began to rub it tensely. "I don't know… I've never done something this important by myself… Sh—shouldn't Mario come with me? Just in case?"

"Not if he's susceptible to attacking you again," Merlon replied. Mario looked away, his expression betraying his guilt. "It shouldn't take long, really. You just have to find the author, and find out how to destroy the Prognosticus. Then we can get rid of it together."

Peach nodded. "He's right. It's safer if you go by yourself." She smiled, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "You can do this, Luigi. We believe in you."

Mario glanced at Peach, then at Merlon. His fingers grabbed the bridge of his nose. "I still don't know about this…" He sighed, smiling somberly. "...But I trust Peach is making the right choice. You've got this, bro."

Luigi blinked, a grin slowly crossing his face. He nodded decisively, tightly clutching the Prognosticus. "Thanks, bro. I won't let you down."

* * *

"Who goes there?"

" _Ah ha ha! Oh, my queen, fear doesn't become you. Relax, be at ease."  
_  
"...Dimentio. I see you've escaped your cell."

" _Why, of course! Dimentio is never one to disappoint his audience! Besides, your henchmen were hardly a threat."  
_  
"...Why have you come to me?"

" _Ah ha ha! Well, as much as I'd love to come just to gloat, I do have some business with you, Your Majesty."  
_  
"Watch your tongue, Dimentio. I have power over life and death. I could send you back to hell in an instant."

" _So try it! See how that goes for you!"  
_

" _Well?"  
_  
"...What? Why can't I..."

" _Ah ha ha! You're quite the bluffer, I see! Like a declawed cat, hissing at a dog!"_

"I..."

" _Now. Let's get back to business, shall we?"_

* * *

 _A/N: Ehhh, this is a little shorter than I would've liked. Perhaps I'll come back to this later and patch it if it's really that bad. I'm going to focus more on forging ahead and writing the next chapters, but expect this chapter in particular to be revised once or twice._

 _My google translate is showing with the Italian bits... If anyone is fluent in Italian and spots anything incorrect, please let me know._


	4. Hellbound

Hell is waiting, and Luigi is _not_ looking forward to it.

* * *

"Are you sure this will work?"

"I'm positive, my dear. Just stay clear of here."

Luigi shuffled to the side, standing at the very edge of a chalk circle drawn onto the floorboards. He, along with Mario and Peach, were gathered in the Shaman hut in Toad Town, which belonged to a different Merlon than the one they had met with earlier that day. Along the outside of the chalk circle were seven sketches of stars, evenly spaced apart, and inside the circle was a symbol in a language he didn't recognize. "Uh, Merlee, what does that mean?" Luigi asked, gesturing to the symbol.

Merlee giggled, adjusting her glasses. She was currently kneeling on the ground, drawing around herself with chalk. "It means 'to call for help', you see," she replied, adding more thickening the outline of the circle. "I've written it in Shamanese."

"Shamanese is a mystical language," Merlon added. He was standing just across from Luigi and Merlon, on the opposite side of the circle. Mario and Peach were just beside him, holding hands. "It was the first language ever created. Many gods and deities use it to this day, including Queen Jaydes."

Merlee nodded. "It has the power to draw gods near. That's why we'll use it here. It's sure to catch Queen Jaydes' ear."

"And she can bring Luigi to the Underworld?" Peach inquired, her hand still firmly latched onto Mario's.

Merlon hummed. "She has the power to do that, yes. But it may not be so simple to, well, convince her to help."

"The Queen won't easily give way," Merlee piped, rising and stepping outside of the circle, admiring her handiwork, "as much as I'd wish to say. She trades an eye for another eye so requests of her may be denied without equal exchange supplied."

"What could we even offer her?" Mario asked, already looking rather frustrated. "She's a god. We don't have anything to give that she wouldn't already have."

"You'll just have to wait and see, unfortunately."

Mario groaned, giving up on pursuing the subject. "Alright," he muttered as Merlee took a spot between him and Luigi. "So, we just wait here? Is that all?"

"That's right," Merlon answered. "Once Toad Town's Merlon and the others arrive, we can begin."

"I still can't wrap my head around there being two Merlons," Luigi said suddenly, rubbing his face tiredly. "Why do Shamans all have the same names, anyway? It's hard to keep track of who's who."

"It has to do with what roles we would fill in a tribe," Merlon said. "That is… if tribes still existed. Most Shamans are independent now. I don't think there have been any tribes around for centuries, if not more." He paused for a moment, blanking, then continued. "But yes, many of us have similar names. Each name corresponds to a duty that a specific Shaman would carry out. For example—"

"Allow me, if you please," Merlee interrupted. Merlon nodded, though he was clearly a little annoyed at the interruption. Merlee quickly cleared her throat, then began to chant monotonously, as if she knew what she was saying by heart.

 _"Merlon is wise to tribal needs. Spells are_ Merlee _specialties._  
Merloo _knows what's yet to come._ Merlight _grasps the other tongues._  
 _Merluvlee sees what can't be seen._ Merlow _is blessed with alchemy._  
Merlar _hears what stars declare. Merle provides their tender care._  
 _Merlumina will guide the way._ Merlimbis _keeps the dark at bay._  
 _We each fulfill an empty role and vow to keep our family whole._  
 _We never stray, we never part, and stay a single beating heart."_

"Ah… I know that rhyme. It's been years since I've heard of it."

While Merlee was speaking, the door had opened, and two more Shamans walked inside, unbeknownst to anyone before one of them spoke up. One of them wore a violet robe, complete with a star point pendant dangling from his neck. The second one bore a striking resemblance to Merlee, only she wore deep blue clothes instead of yellow and red. A few others shuffled in behind them, wearing various colours of robes and capes. Mario recognized a few of them: Merlon and Merluvlee, the first to enter, as well as Merle from Shiver City, to the far north.

Merlee's eyes twinkled at the violet-robed figure. "Merlon, you're finally here! And… Merluvlee…" She hesitated, throwing the female Shaman a sideways glance. "...Good to see you, dear."

"Don't you _'dear'_ me," Merluvlee huffed, strutting past her and standing as far away from her as possible while still staying on the circle's edge.

The other Merlon coughed awkwardly, taking a place next to her. "I apologize... We didn't mean to intrude."

"It's fine," Mario sighed. "Let's just get on with this."

"Of course," Merluvlee relented, nodding. "Shall I start us off?"

The second Merlon nodded, taking the hands of Merluvee and the first Merlon. The seven Shamans joined hands one by one, closing their eyes and bowing their heads. Mario, Peach and Luigi all took a step back to give them space. Merluvlee began chanting ominously in a strange language, presumably Shamanese. And as she spoke, each of the seven stars drawn on the floor began to glow, bathing the dim room in a blinding white light.

"Mei wakai ki baia  
Gai mubi tomu  
Mai mehbi bik bai  
Simumo gol  
Bai alaikela!"

Then, as the light became too much to bear, everyone turned away to shield their eyes. When the light faded, the first thing to be noticed was that the circle Merlee had drawn on the ground had vanished completely. Instead, a figure standing over seven feet tall loomed over the seven, her long purple hair swishing along the floor as she whirled around, examining her surroundings.

"...I am _very_ busy today," she said slowly, a hint of anger in her voice. Her eyes narrowed at each of them individually. "I hope, for your sakes, that you have a good reason for bothering me."

"Queen Jaydes," Mario said suddenly, stepping forward. Jaydes cocked an eyebrow as he continued talking. "We need your help. We're trying to find the author of the Dark Prognosticus so we can destroy the book for good. But the author is dead, and we think they might be in the Underwhere. Can you take one of us down there so we can ask around?"

Jaydes hummed, still boring her eyes into Mario. "Normally I would turn down a request like this right away. I'm dealing with a bit of a predicament in my domain, and can't spare much time…" She paused, looking away for a moment, then turned her gaze back to the plumber. "However, for the hero of prophecy, I can make an exception."

Before anyone could think to celebrate, the Queen continued. "However! If I help you, it stands to reason that you help me in exchange." She clenched her teeth, growling lowly. "A dangerous prisoner has escaped his hold in the Underwhere, and I require assistance in capturing him again. If you can help me, I would gladly guide you to the author myself. This is a fair trade, no?"

Merlon opened his mouth to agree immediately, but Peach cut in first, glancing over at Luigi. "Er, Your Majesty," she began, "could we have a moment to discuss this, please?"

Jaydes sighed, shaking her head. She was clearly already exhausted by this conversation. "...Fine. Make it quick."

Peach bowed quickly, then rushed over to Luigi and grabbed his arm, pulling him over into the corner of the room. Mario scurried to join them, while the Shamans and Jaydes watched intently. "I don't feel right about this," the elder brother wavered once they had gathered to chat. "I still think we should all go with him."

"And risk us attacking him again?" Peach shook her head curtly. "No. Luigi has to do this alone. Don't worry, he can do this. Right, Luigi?"

Luigi tugged at his shirt collar, eyeing Jaydes warily. The Queen was glaring at them with the intensity that only a god was capable of. "I… I don't... " He trembled, stumbling over his words. "I don't know if I can do this," he admitted. "I mean, if the Queen can't even handle it, I'm not sure I could..."

Peach licked her lips anxiously, forcing herself to keep looking away from the Queen's annoyed gaze; she knew that making eye contact would only cause herself unease. "Luigi, please. We have no other choice. We have to find the author, or we'll never get rid of the Prognosticus." She elbowed Mario. "Mario, you agree, right?"

"Not really," Mario countered urgently. "This guy seems dangerous. We can't let him go alone—he'll just get hurt." Turning his attention to Luigi, he huffed. "It's not that I think you're weak, bro. It just wouldn't sit right with me making you do this by yourself."

"I'm waitiiiiing," sung an impatient Jaydes, tapping her foot rhythmically. The scowl on her face was growing exponentially.

"It's your decision," Mario whispered. "If you don't want to do this, we'll find another way. We'll figure out how to destroy the book ourselves."

"I…" Luigi drew his eyes to the ground, deliberating in his mind. "...N—no. I have to do this. I mean, how else would we get to the author?" He nodded, becoming more decisive. "I'll go down, help Jaydes capture this guy… a—and meet the author."

Mario frowned, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder. "...Alright. If you say so."

"I assume you're finished?" Jaydes hummed, standing directly over Peach's shoulder and leaning into their circle. The three nodded in unison, guiding Luigi to the circle. "Excellent. Stand here, then. We have to hurry back. Do you have everything you need?"

Luigi glanced over his shoulder, flipping the bookbag open slightly and peering inside. The Dark Prognosticus was still there, waiting to be read. "Yup. I'm ready."

Jaydes smiled, ushering Luigi into the circle and towering over him. "Shamans, if you please…?"

Taking her cue, the Shamans joined hands once more, and Merlon chanted once again.

"Rupe yeh gai shinak ki!"

Luigi's eyes met Mario's, and they exchanged a hopeful look. Then, Luigi blinked, and he was no longer in the hut.

* * *

"Lock the door! No one can get through here!"

"Be on guard, people! Remember your training!"

"We're gonna die here, aren't we?!"

"We're already dead, stupid. Just get your flipping spear ready."

"Shh! He's here!"

 _"Ah ha ha! A bustle of D-Men...? Fine. More target practice for me~"_

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks for the reviews so far! And sorry for the wait; I've been a bit tangled lately with some birthday plans, but I should be good for now. At least until the holidays. Or until I get writer's block. Or just forget that I'm working on this story. ...Oof. :/_


	5. Spirits

Luigi didn't expect to be whisked away all of a sudden. One moment, he was in Merlon's hut. And the next, one blink later, he was gone. Darkness had enveloped his surroundings, and the musty smell of fog and moss permeated the air. And the silence… The endless, agonizing silence… There was no doubt about where he was.

"The Underwhere," he finally breathed, mostly to himself. Jaydes didn't seem to hear him, as she had already stepped aside to talk to a nearby pair of D-Men. The D-Men were the Queen's henchmen, doing anything she asked of them, from janitorial work to carrying out torture. They didn't look that menacing, but Luigi decided that he didn't want to test them. He kept silent as their conversation carried out.

"Got some updates, Your Majesty," the first D-Man began. "The prisoner crossed the river about an hour ago. We've secured the premises around your temple, but he's still causing trouble somewhere. We haven't been able to, uh, track him down yet."

"He's REALLY fast," the second D-Man added. "Like, SUPER fast. And strong. Jeez, my back still hurts from that blast." He chuckled nervously, likely from noting Jaydes' silence and annoyed demeanour. "Sorry, ma'am, he's a bit much for us to handle, y'know?"

Jaydes shook her head, turning to face Luigi. "Well, hopefully, you'll be able to help us out here. As you just heard, the escapee crossed the river into the wilds. I'm not sure what he's trying to do exactly, but regardless, we need to recapture him before he causes any more damage. Understood?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Luigi replied out of instinct. He'd met royals far less pleasant than Jaydes, but he wasn't keen on pushing his luck; he'd be as polite as possible, just in case.

Jaydes, pleased with Luigi's display of manners, shooed him away. "Go on, then. I'll see what I can do here. 826, accompany him to the bay. Make sure he crosses safely."

The first D-Man nodded, walking up to Luigi and gesturing to their left. Luigi glanced where he pointed, taking in the seemingly endless expanse of trees and darkness that surrounded the path forward. "Yeah, so, we've gotta go this way. Guarding the other side of the river isn't in my job description, so you'll have to manage by yourself once we're there." He laughed quietly, taking the lead and beginning the trek to their destination. "Let's go, slowpoke."

"O—okay," Luigi stuttered, following closely. He knew exactly which river Jaydes was talking about. She was referring to the River Twygz, a tinted pool of Underhands and bad memories. Luigi recalled his first experience of the river with a shudder; he'd almost drowned that day, struggling for oxygen after the hands dragged him to the bottom. He wasn't quite sure how he escaped them alive... All he remembered was waking up in the middle of nowhere, and immediately relegating to crying his eyes out. He must've been sobbing for hours before Mario eventually found him curled up beneath a bush. This time, though, Mario wouldn't be around to save him. He'd have to manage on his own.

Needless to say, Luigi wasn't looking forward to this.

It didn't take long to get to the riverbed. Luigi wasn't sure whether if he should be thankful that he wouldn't be able to wallow in his anxiety for long... or to be even more worried, now that they were already there. The D-Man, presumably named 826, guided him right up to the bank, visibly tense. "So, uh, this is your stop, soooo…"

"Er, thanks for taking me this far," Luigi murmured, his gaze held captive by the river before him. "...How do I get across?"

Instead of answering immediately, 826 drew his fingers to his mouth and let loose a hearty whistle. "Charold will ferry you across," he finally replied. "Just wait here. He'll be here soon. Hope you've got some coins on ya!" Smiling lopsidedly, the D-Man scurried off. "Luck be with you!"

Luigi scratched his head as he watched 826 disappear behind the cloak of shadows. The plumber stood there awkwardly for a few minutes before being interrupted by the quiet sloshing of water behind him. He turned to face the river again and was surprised to be met by the gaze of a grinning figure in orange robes. The man was sitting at the head of a rickety-looking wooden boat, which was rocking back and forth rhythmically.

"Thisss is the River Twygz," he hissed through clenched teeth. "Its watersss are the tearsss of centuriesss of sssinnerrsss…"

Luigi was thoroughly unsettled, and was tempted to leave while he still could, but forced himself to answer him. "A—are you Charold? The ferryman?" The man blinked twice, not moving an inch, then slowly nodded his head in confirmation. "Please," Luigi continued, stepping towards the boat. "I need to get across. Can you give me a ride?"

Charold squinted, his grin climbing up his cheeks. "4 coinsss," he said slowly, dragging out every syllable as if to purposefully drive Luigi mad. "For 4 coinsss, I will ferry you to the other ssside." Luigi quickly dug out a handful of coins from his pockets, nearly dropping them in the process. Then, trembling, he reached forward to give the coins to the ferryman. Charold's smile grew again and, with the swiftness of a Ninji, snatched the coins from Luigi's hand, stuffing them beneath his cap. "Thanksss. Now, we depart." With a faint twinkle in his eyes, he reached for a paddle and gestured for Luigi to climb aboard.

The plumber hesitated for a moment, becoming overwhelmed by the flashbacks of drowning in these waters. But he had a job to do, and he couldn't let his brother or his friends down. So, screwing his courage in as tightly as he could, Luigi grasped the edge of the boat and hauled himself inside, wabbling as it began rocking with his added weight. Once he was seated, Charold wordlessly began paddling, forcing the boat across the tinted river.

After a few minutes, out of a mixture of dead and curiosity, Luigi peered over the edge of the boat. Moments later, he immediately felt the urge to hurl. Floating beneath the surface of the water were dozens of white hands, drifting right beside the paddle; they trembled due to the powerful currents guiding them, swirling repetitively in an unending dance. One of the hands managed to make its way to the ferry. Its fingers wiggled greedily, attempting tried to grasp the ferryman's paddle. Charon, completely unfazed, slowly drew the paddle out of the water, then slammed it downward. A sickening crack sounded, and something akin to a scream pierced the air, causing Luigi to flinch. Then the hand went limp and rose to the surface, unmoving and dead. Charon glanced at it for a moment, then continued steering the boat as if nothing happened.

Luigi gulped, watching the dead hand float away. He didn't know that they had reached the other side of the river until he felt the boat come to a sudden stop.

"Let'sss go," Charon urged, gesturing to the shore. Luigi breathed shakily as he stepped back onto the solid ground; his legs wobbled, even though he was only on the boat for a few minutes. After Luigi found his balance and thanked Charon, the ferryman nodded. "Sssee you," he said absently, already paddling back to the side from whence they came.

Then, silence. Luigi was alone once again.

He quickly began walking away from the river, as a couple of hands near the shore were drifting a little too closely for comfort. As he desperately looked for something else to occupy his mind, his eyes landed on a familiar rainbow-plated door nestled between a group of trees. These doors were a phenomenon that was thought to only occur in nature; they were never attached to a wall, and yet they always seemed to lead...somewhere. Luigi had never seen any in the Mushroom Kingdom, so he assumed they were unique to specific dimensions. It made enough sense that they would exist in the Underwhere.

Now, where did this one lead to…?

Before Luigi could think to open the door and find out, noises began to echo from behind the closed door. A scream pierced. Someone began yelling very loudly. And coming from the fray, there was the sound of a vaguely familiar voice that Luigi couldn't quite place. He couldn't even make out what anyone was saying, but he felt it safe to assume that the escapee Jaydes mentioned was up ahead. Well, this was it. Better to get this over with, he thought with a hum.

Taking a breath, Luigi closed his left fist, feeling it tingle with a faint electric charge. Then, his hand and forearm crackling with green, he bodychecked the door, simultaneously opening it and stepping to the other side of the doorframe. Being momentarily stunned as he found himself plunged into darkness, Luigi stumbled. And as soon as he was unceremoniously shoved into the light again, he was blinded and fell over with a saddening flop. Grunting in frustration, he rushed to recover, brushing his legs off and straightening his cap.

"I... What?"

Luigi's head shot up, making contact with a pair of glowing eyes. It was a Shayde, a game-overed spirit damned to wander the Underwhere forever. It had no defining features, and looked almost exactly like any other Shayde; after all, once you enter the Underwhere, you are stripped of your identity completely. Looks like this Shayde was no different. It gawked at Luigi, slowly drawing closer. "The... man in green? Is… is it really you? And you're alive?!"

The plumber tensed. "D—do I know you?" he asked, wondering how in Jaydes' name this person recognized him. And why was their voice so familiar?!

Scanning the room, Luigi came to a terrible realization. All around him were bodies of D-Men: all of them were unconscious, bruised and sprawled in unnatural positions. The human took a wary step backwards, knowing that the spirit in front of him was responsible for this. His hand began sparking with electricity. "Are you… the escaped prisoner?"

The Shayde's face fell. "I suppose I am. And am I right to say you were hired to bring me back to my cell?" Luigi nodded slowly, and the Shayde chuckled, though his laugh was somewhat broken and hoarse. "Well, I'm not going back there. I'm not done yet." They paused, heaving deep breaths. "I have to finish my business on the surface."

The glow around Luigi's hand faded. "Business?" He stepped forward again, curious but still on edge. "What kind of business...?"

The Shayde let out another broken laugh. "I'm a murder, you. I'm solely responsible for the deaths of millions. Entire kingdoms collapsed because of me." They huffed, turning away from Luigi and hanging their head. "And my family… M—my nephew..." /span/p

Luigi didn't have the heart to ask about his crimes. Instead, he frowned and asked something a bit more tasteful. "What's your name?"

The Shayde flinched as if the question was a knife plunging into their backside. "I… can't say my name," they began slowly. "None of us can. It's a curse Jaydes placed on us for our sins—if you aren't worthy of the Overthere, you aren't worthy of a name." They shrugged helplessly. "Call me what you will. It doesn't matter, anyway—once I make amends with the people I hurt, I'll go back to my cell."

The rainbow door behind Luigi slammed open, and a swarm of D-Men came rushing in with spears. They quickly surrounded the two, getting into ready stances and waving their weapons around aggressively. "Prisoner! Surrender now!"

The Shayde's breathing began to quicken. "N—no! Please! I can't go back! I'm not ready!" Body quaking rapidly, the soul rushed forward and latched onto Luigi like a vice. "You have to help me! Please! You have to find Damien Lykofos and tell him that I—ack!" A D-Man had latched rather tightly onto his body, keeping him from moving around. "Let go of me!"

"Wait!" Luigi cried, only able to watch helplessly as the Shayde was dragged away.

Before the squad vanished through the door with their Shayde prisoner, the spirit cried out again.

"Find Damien Lykofos! Tell him I'm sorry!"

* * *

"You can't be serious! He's... he's just a child!"

"That may be true. But he's more than ready for this, I assure you. Bring him to me."

"But he's been through so much already... He needs time to heal... Please, we can find someone else for this! I'm sure we can-"

"Someone take him away. I've had enough of this... treason. And bring me the child!"

"N-no! Please, don't hurt him! _NO!_ HE'S JUST A CHILD! _NO! PLEASE!"_


	6. Cold

Long after the Shayde had been dragged away by D-Men grunts, Luigi finally gathered his rampant thoughts. He'd been standing there for a while now, trying to process what exactly just happened. In summary... this runaway Shayde had come from the deepest pits of the Underwhere. Then, he had asked Luigi to seek out his nephew, and... apologize to him. What was the name again? Damien Lykofos? What kind of name was that, anyway?

Luigi was confused and didn't have much to go on. But the spirit he'd met seemed desperate to find his nephew. And while Luigi still had to focus on finding the author of the Dark Prognosticus, he assumed he could try and find this Damien fellow while he was at it. Shaking his aching head, Luigi began making his way back to Jaydes' palace. She'd probably be happy to hear of the Shayde's capture and be willing to upkeep her end of their deal by helping Luigi find the dark author.

The trip back was uneventful but somehow ominous. It was oddly quiet now; the ambient noises of hushed conversation and rustling leaves had deafened, and now all that made a sound were Luigi's hesitant footsteps. Even Charon seemed to notice the change in atmosphere; he said nothing as he ferried Luigi back across the river. The silence was _unbearable._

As the palace came into view, noises finally reached Luigi's ears. He heard yelling, then screaming. People arguing. Someone crying out in pain. Then laughter? More yelling... and then silence once again. What in the stars was going on over there? The plumber jogged inside the palace, glancing around to find any sign of life. A few D-Men emerged from behind the pillars near the back, bloodied and battered and running with their heads down. " _Wait_ —" Luigi tried to interject, but they didn't even stop to acknowledge him. They just kept running away. And soon, Luigi was alone once again.

Blinking, Luigi turned to face where the D-Men had emerged from. From what he could see, they had come out of a solid wall. There were no entrances to be seen from where he stood. But as Luigi approached the pillar, he took notice of a silver knob protruding from the side. On a hunch, Luigi reached out. With a twist and a pull, a portion of the pillar opened like a door, and Luigi was hit with a blast of cold air coming from inside.

"What in the...?" A staircase was there inside the pillar, spiralling downwards into the darkness. The cold air was blowing in from there. But how could there be winds coming from underground? Or from indoors?

Deep down, Luigi knew he should just stay put and wait for Jaydes to get back. But for some star-damned reason, he was drawn to the dark before him. Something was down there. And it was definitely important. "I must be crazy," Luigi muttered as he slipped through the tiny opening. The entrance was obviously meant for D-Men and not full-sized humans like himself. He had to crouch and shuffle with his head scraping the roof, inching his way down carefully and slowly. Luckily, he didn't have to do it for long. After only a minute or two, Luigi felt the roof start to rise as he moved along, and he was soon able to stand and walk properly. Rubbing the back of his aching neck, Luigi arrived at the bottom of the stairs and stepped out into the open. The air was even colder now, and Luigi wrapped his arms around himself in a vain attempt to stay warm.

It wasn't clear where the cold winds were coming from. All around him were walls of granite lined with electric torches, stretching up for what seemed like fifty meters. Furthermore, all four walls were lined with cages of various sizes, each stacked erratically upon each other. Some of them were big enough to fit a person, and most were slightly bigger. All of them were empty.

Luigi walked over to the nearest cage curious. What were these even used for? He wrapped his hand around the bars, only to flinch back immediately. The bars were lined in a thick layer of frost, which was more than likely the source of the cold. As he walked further along the room, Luigi realized that ALL the cages were frosty. And the further he walked, the thicker the frost got. Luigi was shivering now; his overalls weren't meant to insulate him from temperatures this low.

" _Fascinating..._ "

Luigi froze. A voice. Someone was down here.

 _"I don't see it,"_ the voice said again, not really acknowledging Luigi's question. He safely assumed that this person wasn't Jaydes or a D-Man. The voice was deep but airy, and most definitely haunting. And although it took a moment for Luigi to realize it, the voice was also very familiar. _"Are you certain?"_

"Whoever you are... you should c—come out right now!" Luigi hollered, cursing his stuttering. "I'm warning you!"

The voice fell silent for a moment. Then, a new voice spoke up, this time a timid and high-pitched one.

"Please help me. I'm trapped... I can't get out."

Luigi gasped. Someone was trapped down here? "Where are you?" He whipped his head around, searching for the source of the plea. But every noise seemed to echo incessantly, and he couldn't pinpoint where the person was. "I can't see you!"

"At the end of the hall... Please hurry."

"I'm coming," Luigi replied, picking up his pace. "Hold on!" He hurried to the farthest wall, coming to a stop at the largest cage in the entire room. It rose to the roof and stretched all along the wall. The door was open, and no one seemed to be inside.

"I'm so cold..."

The person let out a soft cough. Luigi could hear the weakness in their tone. "It's okay," Luigi breathed, stepping into the cage and looking around. Holy stars, it was cold in here. The plumber hoped that neither he nor the person he was seeking would get frostbite down here. "Where are you?"

"I'm right…" _Clang._ "...here."

Luigi flinched at the sound of the cage door slamming shut. A heavy laugh sounded from behind him; Luigi could feel their breath on his neck. He quickly whirled around to see who trapped him but was suddenly enveloped by darkness. Some sort of fabric had been wrapped around him, trapping the man inside. "H—hey! Let me out!" Luigi squirmed against the fabric, searching for an opening. But he was suddenly overcome by vertigo as he was lifted into the air and held there upside-down. "Wh—who are you?! Let me go!"

 _"I hope you know what you're doing,"_ the deep voice from earlier grumbled. The voice was rather close to Luigi's ears; he assumed that it belonged to the person who trapped him. _"We better not have gone through this trouble for nothing."_

A second, higher-pitched and warbling voice piped up, laughing melodically. "Trust me," they replied. "This isn't my first time at the rodeo, dear friend. Now then... take him out. We need to be quiet for this." Then, from somewhere below him, something struck Luigi in the head—something sharp. Before he could even realize he was bleeding, or before he could utter a yelp, he had begun to lose consciousness from the blow. He could only groan in pain as his eyes fell shut.

* * *

 _"Young one… do you know why I named you Damien?"_

 _"No, grampa. I don't."_

 _"One of our ancestors was named Damien. He was the one that broke off from the Tribe of Darkness to form our current clan. And he was one of the few that read the dark book and survived."_

 _"Oh."_

 _"We thought he would be the ideal host of chaos. But his game was cut short, and we had to find a new host to fulfill the prophecy."_

 _"And that host is… me?"_

 _"I am certain. We've trained you well in the dark arts, Damien. You are perfect for the chaos. And through you, we will carry out the dark book's wishes."_

 _"Okay. I'll try."_

 _"Now, run along. I'm sure your mother is worried about you. And remember… don't tell her you were here."_

 _"Yes, grampa."_

* * *

A/N: Sooooo, I got a new job! Which means I won't be posting as often as I'd like, but that's okay. I'll still write on my days off.

I'm really sorry to anyone I took requests from prior to last December; I haven't had any time to work on your requests, so I'll kindly have to drop those projects for now. If I have so little time already, I'd prefer to work on what I already have posted on here and save new projects for later. Thanks for understanding. :)


	7. Evening

"He's not home yet," Mario commented, squirming uncomfortably on the floor of Merlon's hut. "Why isn't he home yet?"

Merlon frowned, turning to face the section of floor that Luigi disappeared into. He stroked his beard twice. "That's not right. He should be back by now."

Silence.

"Maybe we can call Jaydes again."

"Nope," Merluvlee sighed from across the room. "You can't just perform a summoning spell all willy-nilly. We need time before we can do it again."

"Why's that?"

"Look at us," Merlee groaned. "We're pooped—we're beat. We have to rest our minds... and feet."

Mario blinked, only now realizing that all the Shamans were truly exhausted. Their robes were cloaked with sweat, and only Merlon had the strength to stand. The rest of the Shamans were slumped on the ground.

Was magic really that difficult to perform?

Mario had never had trouble with the few spells he was capable of as a human. His Firebrand came to him as naturally as breathing, and his dimensional flipping was rather easy too, if not harmful if he used it for too long. He couldn't imagine looking all sweaty and drained after using his abilities.

"Rest, then," Peach said quietly, grasping Mario's hand. "I'll fetch some water for you all." She stood, still holding the plumber's hand in her own. "Would you join me, Mario?"

"Of course," he replied, standing up with her. They slipped out the door, with Mario gently closing it behind them.

Two Toads guards were standing by the entrance as the pair came outside, and quickly bowed as Peach walked by them. "We're just fetching some water," she explained. "We won't be long."

"Why don't we come with you?" the first Toad piped, standing at attention. "It's dangerous to go alone at night."

Peach chuckled. "Nonsense. It's perfectly safe. I have Mario with me." She nodded at the plumber, smiling. "We'll be fine."

The Toads exchanged hesitant glances, but made no effort to stop them as they began walking away. Mario jogged forward to arrive at Peach's side as they made their way through the lantern-lit town.

He didn't say it, but Mario was relieved to get out of that hut for a bit. It was hot and musty there, and the Shamans occasionally broke into arguments over just about anything they brought up. A lot of them didn't seem to like each other.

The fresh air and ambience of midnight hit them in waves. It was well past sundown; the stars were partially blocked by the scattered clouds drifting by, and Mario could've sworn he felt a raindrop plop onto his nose. It was a welcome change from a few minutes prior. Maybe Peach knew that, though. She had a knack for reading people. It wouldn't have surprised Mario if she asked him to help her just so they could get away from the others.

"I thought you could use the fresh air," Peach said after a minute of walking. Well, that settled it. She read Mario like a book. Her expression morphed into something solemn and intense, and she stared deeply into Mario's eyes. "Talk to me. Please."

Mario sighed. "What's there to say? I'm tired and grouchy. And Merluvlee is getting on my nerves. She keeps arguing with Merlee." They came to a stop at the centre of town, where the central well was located. He and Peach worked together to lower the bucket into the water. "But that's all fine. I'm just worried about Luigi..."

Peach nodded, tightening her grip on his hand. At the same time, she lowered a bucket into the water and drew it back out, holding the bucket with her free hand. "I am too. But he'll be fine, I know it. We just need to... We need to..." Unable to finish her thought, Peach paused, turning her head slightly to the left. Mario cocked his head before pausing himself, listening intently. "...Do you hear that?"

Mario slowly nodded. Oh, he heard it alright.

It hard to pick up on at first. There was a faint clicking noise coming from somewhere nearby, like the tempo of a song. Click, click, click. It was faint, but getting louder and louder with every passing second. Picking up on its direction, Mario turned, squinting his eyes. Darkness veiled his vision, but he could just barely make out a stout figure approaching them. Mario whipped out his hammer by instinct, and Peach unsheathed her parasol, dropping the bucket without a second thought. The pair readied themselves for a fight. However, it soon appeared that they wouldn't be having one.

"Sorry for being so late," the figure began, still approaching steadily. Heels clacked rhythmically along the cobble, piercing the nighttime air. The noise came to a stop as the person halted, fiddling with their glasses. "Didn't mean to take so long. I had a situation to deal with back home." The voice was deep, authoritative, and commanding, all while being unmistakably feminine in tone.

It was, in fact, a voice that Mario hadn't heard in five years.

"Nastasia," Peach breathed, lowering her parasol. She looked like she was simultaneously annoyed, relieved and surprised. "You startled us."

Nastasia hummed. "Sorry about that. I didn't want to wait until morning, yeah? You made it sound like something urgent was going on." She nodded at Mario, briefly acknowledging his presence, and the plumber slowly nodded back.

Mario had... mixed feelings about Nastasia. She was polite, and she wasn't trying to destroy the world anymore. Both of those things would normally earn Mario's trust. But he couldn't find it in himself to fully forgive her for causing so much grief for the kingdom. And he especially couldn't forgive the grief she caused his brother. However, Nastasia seemed remorseful enough after Bleck vanished, so Mario kept his thoughts to himself out of respect for her loss.

Nastasia seemed to notice Mario's mind drifting. Or maybe she noticed the mixed expression on his face. Either way, she continued speaking, avoiding looking at him. "I heard something about the Dark Prognosticus. What's going on?"

"It's been found," Peach replied. "We're trying to figure out how to destroy it for good. Luigi's gone to the Underwhere to see if he can find out who wrote it."

"The Underwhere?" Nastasia raised her eyebrows. "I thought that was a bunch of mythology. It's... a real place?"

"Oh, it's real, alright," Mario huffed with crossed arms. "Remember when your goon Dimentio sent us there?"

Peach shot him a glare. "Mario—"

"It's fine, Princess," Nastasia sighed, putting her hand up to stop Peach short. "I'll do whatever I can to help you out, 'k? Just tell me what you need from me."

"We need information. Anything you might've known about the book or who wrote it." Peach paused. "You... did read it, didn't you?"

The woman shook her head. "No. He was very protective of it. I never read a word."

Mario drooped. "Well, did anyone read it aside from the Count?"

Nastasia paused, thinking for a moment. "Only two people," she began, holding up two fingers, "as far as I know, anyways. One of them was Dimentio, who apparently used to read the Prognosticus when the Count was asleep. And the second..." She hummed, gazing off into the distance for a split second. "Well, the second person was Mr. L. Count Bleck knew he was capable of learning the book's secrets without driving himself insane, being the ideal host of chaos and all. But we didn't expect his reading it to have such a profound effect on him."

Mario's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Mr. L used to be entirely under my control. He was a puppet, like all the others I'd brainwashed." She gestured to her eyes, shrugging. "But once he began to read the book, he started... acting strangely."

Nastasia immediately received two quizzical expressions from Peach and Mario.

"You see... he developed a personality. He picked up hobbies. He made enemies and friends. Flirted, even. Defied orders, made decisions. None of that should've been possible under my hypnosis." She shook her head. "Mr. L's autonomy was absolutely the Dark Prognosticus' doing. But I'm not sure how or why."

"Why are you telling us this?" Mario asked. He was beginning to look a bit annoyed with Nastasia. "That's got nothing to do with getting information about the Dark Prognosticus."

"But it does," Nastasia replied with a tiny smile. "If you want information on the book, who better to ask than Mr. L?"

Peach frowned. "But Mr. L was just a brainwashed Luigi, right? He doesn't really exist."

"That would be false. Like I said, Mr. L somehow obtained autonomy while exposed to the book. Given time, I'm certain I could draw him out of Luigi again. Then you could just ask him what you need to know."

A beat of silence went by before Nastasia noticed Mario's face. The man was seething with rage. "So what you're saying, then," Mario growled, looking even angrier, "is that you wanna brainwash my fratellino again. Is that right?"

"I—"

"Thanks for the offer," the plumber quickly snapped, quickly grabbing the bucket from the ground and dunking it in the well, "but we'll pass. Luigi will find the author and we'll destroy the book ourselves. We don't need your help."

"...Very well then," Nastasia finally said, completely unfazed. She turned, facing away from the two. "I'll be at the inn if you change your mind. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Nodding, Nastasia began to make her way downtown, where the inn was located. Her heel clicks echoed until she vanished from sight.

Mario hadn't watched her leave, as he was already lugging the bucket back to Merlon's place. Peach stepped in front of him, blocking his path. "Mario, we could use her help, you know..."

"You think I don't know that?" Grunting, Mario readjusted his grip on the bucket. He was still seething, but wasn't about to take his anger out on the princess. "I don't want her anywhere near my little bro. I don't think that's unreasonable to ask."

"It's not," Peach sighed, rubbing the side of her head. Mario was difficult to reason with when he was upset. "But this is really important. The book has to be destroyed as soon as possible. Suppose Luigi can't find the author? Then what?"

"Then we'll…" He trailed off. "I don't know… We'll ask the Star Spirits. Or… something. We'd figure it out." But even Mario himself seemed to realize that they were lacking many options. He folded in on himself, pondering, before nodding hesitantly.

"Fine," he hissed. "But if you try anything, you'll regret it."

Peach raised her voice to a shout. " _Mario!_ She's with us now! Stop treating her like an enemy!"

 _She WAS our enemy,_ Mario almost retorted, but managed to keep his mouth shut. He instead grunted, turning back to Merlon's hut with the water bucket in hand. "Let's go, then."

"Mario—"

"Leave him," Nastasia whispered as he walked away, looking utterly defeated. "He's got every right to be angry with me."

Peach frowned. "But you—"

"Don't pretend I wasn't horrible," Nastiasia monotoned, her voice devoid of emotion. "I may have changed since then, but he isn't obligated to forgive me. Not after what I did." She glanced at Mario, who was much further down the path. "...How is Luigi? I haven't seen him."

Thrown off by the subject change, Peach stammered, "Oh, he's… alright. He's recovering."

"Good." Nastasia smiled gently. They began to walk, following Mario from a distance. The plumber was walking much faster, and soon vanished behind a corner. "Mimi misses him a lot. She won't admit it, though. O'Chunks sometimes talks about coming to visit the Mushroom Kingdom, too."

Peach nodded, glancing upwards. The sky was clearer now, with only a few stray clouds blotting out the stars. "And… Blumiere?"

Nastasia nearly tripped, but quickly regained composure. "Still no sign of him. Or Timpani." A cough. "Um, I hope they're still happy, wherever they are."

Peach was about to reply, but was quickly cut off as Merlon's hut came into view. Mario came running out, rushing towards the two frantically. Peach was prepared to scold him, but stopped when she noticed the distressed look on his face.

"It's Luigi," Mario breathed, eyes wide and body trembling. "Jaydes says he's gone missing."


	8. Flight

Dimentio breathed a quiet sigh of relief once the sack stopped moving. Luigi would stay unconscious long enough for him to escape, if all went well. The jester hovered a few feet off the chilly prison floor, turning to the other being in the room. A chill swept by his neck, causing him to shiver. "I know that ice is your motif, Bonechill, but..." He paused to shiver again. "...would you mind saving it for the heroes? My body is colder than your attitude right now."

The dragon snorted, causing snowflakes to shoot from his snout. He said nothing at first, opting to twirl the limp sack in his claws. A grin crept onto his face, flashing his icicle-esque teeth. "Dimentio," he rumbled, "I assure you, I can make you much colder than this. Don't test me."

The jester huffed. His breath turned foggy, drifting upwards. "Whatever. Let's just get started."

"You haven't told me the plan yet, clown boy."

Ignoring the insult, Dimentio obliged. "Your army is doing a fine job causing a ruckus upstairs. They just need to distract Jaydes for a bit longer. That way, we can get to Underwhere Road without trouble."

Bonechill hummed. "You have magic, don't you? Just teleport us to the world of the living."

Dimentio clucked his tongue and shook his head. "It's not that simple, my friend. Jaydes placed a lock on dark magic in the Underwhere." He floated to the cage bars, brushing his gloved fingers along the icy metal absently. "We need to get to the halfway point between here and the Overthere. I can teleport again once we're far away enough from Jaydes' domain."

He twirled in midair, already ecstatic at the idea.

"And once that's done, we can escape in a snap! I'll warp us to my old castle, and we can finally finish what I started!"

"And what about..." The dragon held up the sack, eyes narrowed. "...this?"

"That," the jester replied, "is the Chaos Heart."

Bonechill blinked, taken aback. "It's a hero. The scrawny one."

"Exactly. He hosts the Chaos Heart now. It lays dormant in him, waiting to be coaxed out. If you want the Heart so badly, we need to take him with us." A dark chuckle erupted from Dimentio's throat. "Besides," he continued, "he could be useful as a bargaining chip. As long as he's in our possession, Mario won't make a move to stop us. It'll be one less hero to deal with."

"Fine by me." Bonechill ducked, slipping underneath the top of the cage and sliding out. "I just need one more thing from you before we go."

"And what's that?"

Bonechill simply gestured at his feet. Or, rather, where his feet WOULD be. Dimentio didn't notice it before, but Bonechill's entire lower body, sans his tail, was contained in some sort of metal sphere. There were wheels attached so the dragon could move around, but it looked very difficult to move around in. "Jaydes put this here so I couldn't fly. I can't make it up the stairs like this. If you would be so kind as to free me, I'd be much more helpful."

Dimentio nodded, floating down and plopping onto the floor without a sound. "How do I...?"

"You have to say the magic phrase. Do you speak Shamanese?"

"Yes, I do."

"Repeat after me, then." Bonechill cleared his throat.

"Locked away, demon king,

dragon of the cold dark,

I release you now, come to me.

Spread your wings and fly."

Dimentio thought for a moment, processing what Bonechill said, then repeated the phrase back in the mystic language. The words rolled off his tongue like silk.

"Kilik rupe daiakrei,

Kai'ila bik shinak burei,

Mai iva bai, na simumo.

Pursei bei wuushuu avalo!"

As the final syllable left Dimentio's lips, a faint light began to leak from the inside of the sphere. Dimentio instinctively shielded his face right before it exploded into a couple dozen pieces, scattering themselves on the cold prison floor. One particularly large piece struck Dimentio in the chest, flinging him aside. Next to him, the sack thumped onto the floor, eliciting a grunt of pain from the unconscious Luigi.

Dimentio quickly looked up, watching in awe as Bonechill slithered around. He moved around like a snake, writhing about from place to place, but he never touched the ground. His wings kept him afloat, despite how small they were compared to his size. Dimentio assumed he was just very lightweight, but maybe some magic was involved?

"Broooohahaha... Finally. I missed being able to fly." The dragon exhaled deeply, coating everything nearby in a fresh layer of ice. He was perched in a corner on the ceiling, coiled and smiling coyly. "Now then, I do believe we're ready. Shall we depart?"

Dimentio grinned, hoisting the sack over his shoulder. "Lead the way."

* * *

"What do you mean, he's _missing_? It's been two hours!"

"Luigi helped capture the rogue Shayde, like I asked him to. But he never returned after we locked them in their cell. And then Skellobits started escaping the prisons, so we had to focus on that..."

"You just ignored the fact that he vanished, then?!"

"Don't test me, hero. I had to prioritize. Skellobits are still roaming the Underwhere. I have my duties to take care of."

"..."

"I'll take you there yourself so you can look for him while I contain the Skellobits. How's that?"

"Not good enough, you slimy—"

"Then I'll leave."

" _NO_! I mean... Ugh... Alright. I'll go. Peach, are you coming too?"


End file.
